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### Question: How can I reduce my risk of developing head and neck cancers?
### Response: People who are at risk of head and neck cancers ―particularly those who use tobacco ―should talk with their doctor about ways that they may be able to reduce their risk. They should also discuss with their doctor how often to have checkups. In addition, ongoing clinical trials are testing the effectiveness of various medications in preventing head and neck cancers in people who have a high risk of developing these diseases. Descriptions of these clinical trials can be accessed by searching NCI ’s list of cancer clinical trials. NCI ’s list of cancer clinical trials includes all NCI -supported clinical trials that are taking place across the United States and Canada, including the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. For information about other ways to search the list, see Help Finding NCI -Supported Clinical trials.
Information specialists from NCI ’s Cancer Information Service (CIS) can also help people find clinical trials for the prevention of head and neck cancers. The CIS can be reached at 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237) or by chatting with a cancer information specialist online through LiveHelp.
Avoiding oral HPV infection may reduce the risk of HPV -associated head and neck cancers. However, it is not yet known whether the Food and Drug Administration -approved HPV vaccine s Gardasil ®, Gardasil 9®, and Cervarix ® prevent HPV infection of the oral cavity, and none of these vaccines has yet been approved for the prevention of oropharyngeal cancer. More information about these vaccines is in the NCI fact sheet Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines.